Ezekiel’s prophecy includes a series of stark warnings to the shepherds of Israel, which have
sobering implications for God’s spiritual shepherds today: “And the word of Jehovah came unto
me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them,
even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed
themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the
wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither
have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have
ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with
force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. 5 And they were scattered, because there was no
shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. 6 My sheep
wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon
all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek after them.” (Ez. 34:1-6)
There are also quite a few warnings and condemnations of the shepherds in the writings of
the other prophets (cf. Jer. 10:21; 12:10; 23:1-2; 50:6; Is. 56:11; Nah. 3:18; Zech. 10:2-3; 11:15-
17) Taken together, these passages present three broad areas of warning, which are instructive to
the thoughtful elder today trying diligently to be faithful to his responsibilities.
First, elders must never place their personal needs and desires above those of the flock. The
shepherd who can callously eat and satisfy his own appetites while the sheep are bawling and
starving, reveals a disqualifying character flaw. Shepherding is a work of selfless caring and
compassion. It involves being alert to the needs of all of the members, and genuinely sympathizing
with them. The godly elder cannot rest in comfort knowing that members of his flock are suffering.
This is not to say that elders should not look out for themselves, and the spiritual needs of
their own family. Paul commanded the Ephesian elders to “take heed unto yourselves, and to all
the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord, which he
purchased with his own blood,” (Acts 20:28). Elders can hardly be of effective service if they
neglect their own spiritual and physical needs. But as they are seeing to their own needs, they are
ever mindful of the needs of the members they shepherd.
Second, elders must diligently seek restoration of the erring. Some congregations do not
have the seating capacity for all of the unfaithful members in their community. This is a sad reality
constantly on the mind of the godly elder. What has become of these sheep? How can we restore
them? These questions haunt the elder daily. He is in fervent prayer for their restoration and return.
He is ever mindful of opportunities to reach them, to encourage them, to bring them back. He
probably keeps excellent records to remind him of this important responsibility. He knows who
the lost are, and is constantly seeking them.
Third, elders must never rule “with force and rigor.” They are firm but loving, clear but
compassionate, focused yet respectful. “Neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but
making yourselves examples to the flock,” (1 Pet. 5:3). It is challenging to be patient with people,
especially when you have seen the same foolish and sinful mistakes over and over. It is tempting
to stop explaining and simply force the issue; to stop pleading and simply dictate; to stop working
with members and simply work despite them.
Eldering, or shepherding, is the highest spiritual calling of all. It takes a special and unique
person with a godly mindset. It takes a man who is good with people because he loves their souls,
and he loves their Lord. It takes a shepherd whom the flock will follow because they respect him,
and they know they can trust him.
God bless those who serve faithfully as elders in the Lord’s church! Never forget that
“when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not
away,” (1 Pet. 5:4).
Warnings to Shepherds
